The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction has sprung many surprises. If MS Dhoni was the most expensive player in the IPL in 2008, another wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant, emerged as the costliest purchase in the 2025 auction. The value of players—overseas and Indian players—has skyrocketed after every auction.
This blog will look at the five most expensive players in IPL auction history and the costliest players in separate player categories.
From Rishabh Pant to Pat Cummins – Most Expensive Players in IPL
The best cricketing talent takes the field in the IPL every season. However, the franchises have to splash considerable money to secure those players. There has never been a shortage of hot properties in the auction. Players in the auction marquee set have gone on to break auction records in the last couple of years.
The following is a list of five of the most costliest players in auction history:
Rishabh Pant – ₹27 crore (Lucknow Super Giants)
It was clear that Rishabh Pant would fetch a huge sum when Delhi Capitals Delhi Capitals released him ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In Jeddah, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) secured Pant for a record ₹27 crore.
The franchise fought off interest from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (LSG), and Delhi Capitals (DC) to secure their prized possession. Though Capitals activated RTM, the asking price of ₹27 crore fended them off.
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱-𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗵 🔝
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 24, 2024
Snippets of how that Historic bidding process panned out for Rishabh Pant 🎥 🔽 #TATAIPLAuction | #TATAIPL | @RishabhPant17 | @LucknowIPL | #LSG pic.twitter.com/grfmkuCWLD
Shreyas Iyer – ₹26.75 crore (Punjab Kings)
After guiding Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to glory in 2024, Shreyas Iyer didn’t find a place in the franchise’s retained players list. However, many franchises were queuing up to secure the services of the 30-year-old at the 2025 mega auction.
KKR and Punjab Kings (PBKS) began the bidding war for Iyer. Delhi Capitals joined midway. Once the three-time champions pulled out, it was all between the Capitals and the Kings. After frantic bidding, PBKS secured Iyer for a staggering ₹26.75 crore.
𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐚! 🔥🤩#ShreyasIyer #IPL2025Auction #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/IOtPf5wzBT
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) November 24, 2024
Mitchell Starc – ₹24.75 crore (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Mitchell Starc became the man of the moment when his name came up at the 2024 auction. The Aussie pacer’s base price multiplied with every minute. DC opened the bidding, while Mumbai Indians (MI) came into the picture immediately.
KKR entered the scene with the auctioneer quoting Starc at ₹9.80 crore. After this, there was no looking back, as MI and DC both dropped out, with the Gujarat Titans (GT) and KKR going all in. The battle ended when the Kolkata outfit sealed the deal at ₹24.75 crore.
The historic moment.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 19, 2023
Starc sold to Kolkata for 24.75 crores....!!!!!pic.twitter.com/dhegJTQD0g
Venkatesh Iyer – ₹23.75 crore (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Venkatesh Iyer had rediscovered his form and played a pivotal role in KKR’s success in the IPL 2024 season. But, like Shreyas Iyer, he wasn’t retained by the franchise.
In the 2025 mega auction, KKR had their eyes firmly set on Venkatesh Iyer. They placed the opening bid and outbid LSG and RCB to ensure the all-rounder returns to Eden Gardens in the 2025 season. The defending champions paid ₹23.75 crore for Venkatesh Iyer.
In case you’re wondering why Venkatesh Iyer fetched a massive INR 23.75 Crore in the #IPL2025MegaAuction – he’s a clutch player! pic.twitter.com/vYF2j99UA9
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) November 26, 2024
Pat Cummins – ₹20.50 crore (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Being the captain of the Australian team that beat India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Pat Cummins was a player in demand at the 2024 auction.
Chennai Super Kings (CKS) and MI were the early bidders. However, after a while, RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) became the frontrunners in signing Cummins. SRH kept on outbidding RCB. At ₹20.50 crore, the Bengaluru outfit decided to pull out, making Cummins the most expensive SRH player.
WOAH 🤯🤯
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2023
Pat Cummins is SOLD to Sunrisers Hyderabad 🧡 for a whopping INR 20.5 Crore 🔥🔥
Congratulations to the @SunRisers 🙌#IPLAuction | #IPL
Costliest Players in IPL Auction – Category-wise
The IPL 2025 mega auction saw the franchises rewrite plenty of auction records. Here are the most expensive Indian, overseas, and uncapped players in auction history.
- Most Expensive Indian Player in IPL Auction – Rishabh Pant (₹27 crore)
- Most Expensive Overseas Player in IPL Auction – Mitchell Starc (₹24.75 crore)
- Most Expensive Uncapped Player in IPL Auction – Avesh Khan (₹10 crore)
Concluding Thoughts
Franchises have been more than willing to spend money on game-changers at the auction. With the cash purse increasing in the last few years, it was no surprise that players received staggering bids at the auction—a trend likely to continue in the coming auctions.
FAQs
Who is the most expensive player in IPL auction?
Rishabh Pant received the highest-ever bid in an IPL auction. Lucknow Super Giants secured Pant’s services for ₹27 crore in the 2025 mega auction.
Which overseas player is the costliest in the IPL auction?
Mitchell Starc is the costliest overseas player in the IPL Auction. Kolkata Knight Riders splashed ₹24.75 crore on Starc in the IPL 2024 auction.
What is the highest bid received for an uncapped player in the IPL auction?
In the 2022 mega auction, Avesh Khan became the costliest uncapped player. Lucknow Super Giants paid ₹10 crore for Avesh.
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